Accelerated television advertisement identification

ABSTRACT

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture (e.g., physical storage media) to credit commercial broadcasts are disclosed. Example commercial crediting apparatus disclosed herein compare first identification information and first timing information obtained from a first monitored data feed with second identification information and second timing information in a second monitored data feed to identify a first final distributor code represented in the second monitoring data feed, the first identification information and the first timing information corresponding to a first commercial represented in the first monitored data feed. Disclosed example apparatus also access data that maps a first original distributor code to the first final distributor code, identify the first commercial in lineup data based on the first original distributor code, and adjust, based on a duration of the first commercial, a duration obtained for a first media program listed in the lineup data.

RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This patent arises from a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser.No. 15/334,875 (now U.S. Pat. No. 10,271,107), which is entitled“ACCELERATED TELEVISION ADVERTISEMENT IDENTIFICATION,” and which wasfiled on Oct. 26, 2016. Priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/334,875 is hereby expressly claimed. U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/334,875 is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

This disclosure relates generally to media monitoring and, moreparticularly, to accelerated television advertisement identification.

BACKGROUND

Commercial monitoring systems are implemented by audience measuremententities to monitor media distribution feeds for the presence ofcommercials. Some commercial monitoring systems detect the presence ofcommercials by detecting codes, such as watermark data, embedded in orotherwise included in the media distribution feeds. The detectedcodes/watermarks can be used to cross-reference lineup data, which isprovided by distributors (e.g., networks, such as cable networks,television broadcast networks, etc.) partnering with the audiencemeasurement entities, to identify the detected commercials and retrieveattribute data included in the lineup data for the detected commercials.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example commercial crediting systemimplemented in accordance with the teachings of this disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a table listing example commercial crediting feed data outputfrom an example commercial monitoring system included in the examplesystems of FIGS. 1 and 3.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an example total content ratings systemimplemented in accordance with the teachings of this disclosure.

FIG. 4 illustrates example operation of an example broadcast networkcommercial creditor included in the example systems of FIGS. 1 and 3.

FIG. 5 illustrates example operation of an example syndication networkcommercial creditor included in the example systems of FIGS. 1 and 3.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart representative of example machine readableinstructions that may be executed to implement the example commercialcrediting system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart representative of example machine readableinstructions that may be executed to implement the example total contentratings system of FIG. 3.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of an example processor platform structured toexecute the example machine readable instructions of FIGS. 6 and/or 7 toimplement the example commercial crediting system of FIG. 1 and/or theexample total content ratings system of FIG. 3.

The figures are not to scale. Wherever possible, the same referencenumbers will be used throughout the drawing(s) and accompanying writtendescription to refer to the same or like parts, elements, etc.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture (e.g., physicalstorage media) to credit commercial broadcasts are disclosed. Examplecommercial crediting methods disclosed herein include accessingcommercial crediting feed data corresponding to a first monitoredcommercial. Disclosed example method also include, in response todetermining the first monitored commercial was distributed via a cablenetwork, comparing the commercial crediting feed data to lineup data toidentify crediting data for the first monitored commercial. Disclosedexample methods further include, in response to determining the firstmonitored commercial was distributed via a broadcast network, comparingthe commercial crediting feed data to media monitoring system data toidentify a code included in a network feed to identify the firstmonitored commercial, and comparing the code to the lineup data toidentify the crediting data for the first monitored commercial.Disclosed example methods additionally include storing the creditingdata for the first monitored commercial in a data repository.

These and other example methods, apparatus, systems and articles ofmanufacture (e.g., physical storage media) to credit commercialbroadcasts are disclosed in further detail below.

As noted above, commercial monitoring systems are implemented byaudience measurement entities to monitor media distribution feeds forthe presence of commercials. Some commercial monitoring systems detectthe presence of commercials by detecting codes, such as watermark data,embedded in or otherwise included in the media distribution feeds. Thedetected codes/watermarks can be used to cross-reference lineup data,which is provided by distributors (e.g., networks, such as cablenetworks, television broadcast networks, etc.) partnering with theaudience measurement entities, to identify the detected commercials andretrieve attribute data included in the lineup data for the detectedcommercials.

In some commercial monitoring systems, the code/watermarks detected inthe media distribution feeds are final distributor codes, and the lineupdata is provided by the distributors of the media (e.g., program contentand commercials) included in the media distribution feeds. In the caseof monitoring media distribution feeds corresponding to cable networkfeeds, the final distributor of the media distribution feed is also theoriginal distributor, namely, the cable network. In such cases, thecode/watermarks detected and included in the commercial crediting feedsprovided by the commercial monitoring systems correspond to the originaldistributor's (e.g., the cable network's) lineup data. Thus, commercialcrediting feed data can be used to directly cross-reference the originaldistributor's lineup data to determine the commercial crediting data(e.g., identity and attribute data) for the monitored commercials insuch cases.

However, in the case of monitoring media distribution feedscorresponding to television broadcast network feeds, the originaldistributor and the final distributor may not be the same. For example,the original distributor of the media (e.g., program content andcommercials) may be a broadcast network (e.g., ABC, NBC, CBS, etc.),whereas the final distributor may be a local affiliate station. In suchcases, the final distributor code/watermarks detected and included in acommercial crediting feeds provided by a commercial monitoring systemsmay be local distributor codes added by a local affiliate station. Suchcommercial crediting feed data may be able to cross-reference lineupdata provided by the local affiliate station, but may be unable tocross-reference the original distributor's (e.g., the broadcastnetwork's) lineup data. Thus, commercial crediting feeds provided byexisting commercial monitoring systems may be unable to directly creditcommercials distributed by a broadcast network (e.g., at a nationallevel). To enable crediting of commercials distributed by a broadcastnetwork, existing commercial monitoring systems may rely on a back-endauditing procedure, which involves human personnel examining thecommercial attribute data included in the commercial crediting feed datato identify the matching commercial(s) in the original distributor's(e.g., the broadcast network's) lineup data. Such a back-end auditingprocedure may be time consuming, thereby delaying when the creditingresults for commercials distributed by the broadcast network can bereported to customers. Similar technical problems are exhibited bycommercial crediting feeds associated with syndication networkbroadcasts because the original and final media distributors may bedifferent.

Example commercial crediting systems disclosed herein provide technicalsolutions to such technical problems associated with performingaccurate, and timely, crediting of commercials included in mediadistribution feeds across many different types of distribution networks.For example, commercial crediting systems disclosed herein utilize thecommercial crediting feeds provided by an existing commercial monitoringsystem to cross-reference lineup data provided by a cable network tocredit commercials included in a monitored cable network distributionfeed. However, unlike prior systems, disclosed example commercialcrediting systems employ automated procedures to compare commercialcrediting feeds provided by the existing commercial monitoring system tomedia monitoring system data provided by a separate media monitoringsystem to credit commercials included in media distribution feeds, suchas broadcast television feeds, in which the original and final mediadistributors may be different. For example, and as disclosed in furtherdetail below, commercial crediting systems disclosed herein can comparecommercial crediting feeds to media monitoring system data associatedwith a same monitored media distribution feed to identify a codeincluded in another media distribution feed (e.g., a networkdistribution feed) used by the original distributor (e.g., broadcastnetwork) to provide the media to the final distributor (e.g., a localaffiliate station) for distribution. This code is then compared tolineup data provided by the original distributor to determine creditingdata for commercials detected in the monitored media distribution feed.

Turning to the figures, a block diagram of an example commercialcrediting system 100 implemented in accordance with the teachings ofthis disclosure is illustrated in FIG. 1. The example commercialcrediting system 100 includes one or more example commercial monitoringsystems 105, which may be implemented by a conventional commercialmonitoring system. For example, the commercial monitoring system 105 ofthe illustrated example may correspond to the Nielsen Monitor Plus™system and/or any other commercial monitoring system.

In the illustrated example, the commercial crediting system 100 monitorsmedia distribution feeds, such as one or more cable network distributionfeeds, television broadcast distribution feeds, etc., to detectcommercials included in the feeds. The example commercial creditingsystem 100 outputs a commercial crediting feed, which includes creditingdata for the monitored commercials. Example commercial crediting data200 included in the commercial crediting feed output by the commercialcrediting system 100 is illustrated in the example table of FIG. 2.

Turning to FIG. 2, the example commercial crediting data 200 included inthe commercial crediting feed for a given commercial includes an exampleBROADCAST_DATE data field 205 specifying a broadcast date of the givencommercial. The example commercial crediting data 200 for the givencommercial includes an example STATION data field 210 specifying astation code corresponding to the distribution feed in which the givencommercial was detected. The example commercial crediting data 200 forthe given commercial includes an example COMMID data field 215specifying a commercial identifier assigned to the given commercial. Theexample commercial crediting data 200 for the given commercial includesan example AIR TIME data field 220 specifying a time interval duringwhich the commercial was aired (e.g., broadcast), and an example DURdata field 225 specifying the duration of the complete commercial. Ingeneral, the AIR TIME data field 220 and the DUR data field 225 for agiven commercial should have substantially similar durations unless, forexample, broadcast of the given commercial was truncated, in which theduration of the AIR TIME data field 220 would be less than the value ofthe DUR data field 225.

The example commercial crediting data 200 for the given commercialincludes an example TYPE data field 230 specifying a type of thecommercial and an example CLASS data field 235 specifying a class of thecommercial. For example, these data fields can specify whether thecommercial is local or national, and/or whether the commercial is atypical paid commercial, a promotion (e.g., associated with the stationbroadcasting the commercial), a public service announcement (PSA), etc.The example commercial crediting data 200 for the given commercialincludes an example END TIME data field 240 specifying an end time ofthe commercial. The example commercial crediting data 200 for the givencommercial includes an example TOWER ID data field 245 identifying, forexample, the broadcast tower of the television broadcaster used tobroadcast the commercial. The example commercial crediting data 200 forthe given commercial includes an example ORIGINATOR_TYPE_CODE data field250 to specify the type of final distributor for the given commercial.For example, and as disclosed in further detail below, theORIGINATOR_TYPE_CODE data field 250 can be used to determine whether thecommercial was detected in a distribution feed corresponding to abroadcast network, a cable network, a program syndicator, etc.

Returning to FIG. 1, the example commercial crediting system 100illustrated therein also includes one or more example media monitoringsystems (MMSs) 110 to monitor media included in the media distributionfeeds. The media distribution feeds undergoing monitoring may include,but are not limited to, final distributor feeds, such as cable networkfeeds, local television station feeds, etc., providing media (e.g.,program content, commercials, etc.) to media devices. The MMS 110 of theillustrated example also monitors media distribution feeds used byoriginal distributors (e.g., television networks) to provide media(e.g., program content, commercials, etc.) to final distributors fordistribution to media devices. For example, such media distributionfeeds may correspond to national satellite feeds used by broadcastnetworks to transmit media (e.g., program content, commercials, etc.) tolocal affiliate stations for broadcast in their local feeds to receivingmedia devices. As used herein, the term “media” includes any type ofcontent and/or commercial (e.g., advertisement) delivered via any typeof distribution medium. Thus, media includes television programming orcommercials (e.g., advertisements), radio programming or advertisements,movies, web sites, streaming media, etc.

In the illustrated example, the MMS 110, among other things, detectscodes/watermarks identifying the media (e.g., program content,commercials, etc.) included in the monitored media distribution feeds.In some examples, the MMS 110 also generates signatures representativeof the media (e.g., program content, commercials, etc.) included in themonitored media distribution feeds. For example, media watermarking is atechnique used to identify media, such as television broadcasts, radiobroadcasts, advertisements (television and/or radio), downloaded media,streaming media, prepackaged media, etc. Existing media watermarkingtechniques identify media by embedding one or more codes (e.g., one ormore watermarks), such as media identifying information and/or anidentifier that may be mapped to media identifying information, into anaudio and/or video component of the media distribution feed. In someexamples, the audio or video component is selected to have a signalcharacteristic sufficient to hide the watermark. As used herein, theterms “code” and “watermark” are used interchangeably and are defined tomean any identification information (e.g., an identifier) that may beinserted or embedded in the audio or video of media (e.g., a program oradvertisement) for the purpose of identifying the media or for anotherpurpose such as tuning (e.g., a packet identifying header). To identifywatermarked media, the watermark(s) are extracted and used to access atable of reference watermarks that are mapped to media identifyinginformation.

Unlike media monitoring techniques based on codes and/or watermarksincluded with and/or embedded in the monitored media, fingerprint orsignature-based media monitoring techniques generally use one or moreinherent characteristics of the monitored media during a monitoring timeinterval to generate a substantially unique proxy for the media. Such aproxy is referred to as a signature or fingerprint, and can take anyform (e.g., a series of digital values, a waveform, etc.) representativeof any aspect(s) of the media signal(s) (e.g., the audio and/or videosignals forming the media presentation being monitored). A signature maybe a series of signatures collected in series over a timer interval. Agood signature is repeatable when processing the same mediapresentation, but is unique relative to other (e.g., different)presentations of other (e.g., different) media. Accordingly, the term“fingerprint” and “signature” are used interchangeably herein and aredefined herein to mean a proxy for identifying media that is generatedfrom one or more inherent characteristics of the media.

Signature-based media monitoring generally involves determining (e.g.,generating and/or collecting) signature(s) representative of a mediasignal (e.g., an audio signal and/or a video signal) output by amonitored media device and comparing the monitored signature(s) to oneor more references signatures corresponding to known (e.g., reference)media sources. Various comparison criteria, such as a cross-correlationvalue, a Hamming distance, etc., can be evaluated to determine whether amonitored signature matches a particular reference signature. When amatch between the monitored signature and one of the referencesignatures is found, the monitored media can be identified ascorresponding to the particular reference media represented by thereference signature that with matched the monitored signature. Becauseattributes, such as an identifier of the media, a presentation time, abroadcast channel, etc., are collected for the reference signature,these attributes may then be associated with the monitored media whosemonitored signature matched the reference signature. Example systems foridentifying media based on codes and/or signatures are long known andwere first disclosed in Thomas, U.S. Pat. No. 5,481,294, which is herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety.

In the illustrated example of FIG. 1, for the final distributor mediadistribution feeds being monitored, the MMS 110 detects finaldistributor codes/watermarks for the monitored media, and determinestime information (e.g., such as start and end times) indicating when themedia was distributed (e.g., aired) for receipt by media devices. Forthe original distributor media distribution feeds being monitored, theMMS 110 detects original distributor codes/watermarks for the monitoredmedia, and detects encoding start and end times (and any intermediatetimes) encoded in the media distribution feeds by the originaldistributors. For example, the encoding start and end times canrepresent a time-in-content (TIC) indicating the duration of the encodedmedia, and marking elapsed time(s) within the encoded media. The MMS 110further maintains a mapping between the final distributor codes andoriginal distributor codes for the different monitored media. Forexample, the final distributor codes/watermarks may be added in ahierarchical manner to the original distributor codes/watermarks alreadyincluded with the media when the final distributor prepares the finaldistributor media distribution feeds for broadcast. In such examples,the MMS 110 can detect both the final distributor and originaldistributor codes/watermarks included in the final distributor mediadistribution feeds to determine the mapping between final distributorcodes and original distributor codes.

The example commercial crediting system 100 of FIG. 1 further includesan example lineup server 115 to store and allow access to media (e.g.,program and/or commercial) lineup data provided by distributors (e.g.,original and/or final) partnering with the audience measurement entityoperating the system 100. In some examples, the lineup data stored inthe lineup server 115 includes, but is not limited to, data that mapsdistributor codes/watermarks to media identification information, aswell as one or more attributes associated with the media. For example,the attributes may include, but are not limited to, one or more of theexample media attributes illustrated in the example table of FIG. 2.

To perform commercial crediting in accordance with the teachings of thisdisclosure, the example commercial crediting system 100 includes anexample commercial creditor 120. The example commercial creditor 120 ofFIG. 1 further includes an example cable network commercial creditor125, an example broadcast network commercial creditor 130 and an examplesyndication network commercial creditor 135. The example cable networkcommercial creditor 125 implements crediting of commercials detected incable network distribution feeds. In the illustrated example, the cablenetwork commercial creditor 125 accesses commercial crediting feed dataprovided by the example commercial monitoring system 105 for a monitoredcommercial identified in the commercial crediting feed data. Then, inresponse to determining the monitored commercial was distributed via acable network (e.g., based on the ORIGINATOR_TYPE_CODE included in thecommercial crediting feed data), the cable network commercial creditor125 compares the commercial crediting feed data for the monitoredcommercial to lineup data stored in the example lineup server 115 toidentify crediting data for the first monitored commercial. In someexamples, the cable network commercial creditor 125 uses the STATIONcode included in the accessed commercial crediting feed data to identifyparticular lineup data for the cable network associated with the mediadistribution feed including the monitored commercial. Then, because thecable network was the original distributor, the cable network commercialcreditor 125 can directly use the commercial identifier (COMMID) andtime information (e.g., BROADCAST_DATE and AIR TIME data) included inthe commercial crediting feed data to identify the monitored commercialand associated attribute data from the particular lineup data for thatcable network.

The example broadcast network commercial creditor 130 implementscrediting of commercials detected in broadcast network distributionfeeds. In the illustrated example, the broadcast network commercialcreditor 130 accesses commercial crediting feed data provided by theexample commercial monitoring system 105 for a monitored commercialidentified in the commercial crediting feed data. Then, in response todetermining the monitored commercial was distributed via a broadcastnetwork (e.g., based on the ORIGINATOR_TYPE_CODE included in thecommercial crediting feed data) and not a cable network, the broadcastnetwork commercial creditor 130 accesses media monitoring system dataprovided by the example MMS 110. Because the commercial crediting feeddata is based on detected codes/watermarks associated with a finaldistributor (e.g., a local affiliate station), which may be differentfrom the original distributor (e.g., a television broadcast network),the broadcast network commercial creditor 130 uses MMS data provided bythe MMS 110 to identify a original distributor code/watermark (andpossibly other attributes) for the monitored commercial, which can thenbe compared to the lineup data stored in the example lineup server 115to identify crediting data for the first monitored commercial.

In some examples, the broadcast network commercial creditor 130 comparesdistribution feed identification information (e.g., such as the TOWER IDdata) and time information (e.g., BROADCAST_DATE and AIR TIME data)included to commercial crediting feed data for the monitored commercialwith final distributor distribution feed identification information(e.g., such as connection point data) and time information (e.g.,broadcast start and end times) included in the MMS data to identify thecorresponding final distributor code/watermark in the MMS data for themonitored commercial. The broadcast network commercial creditor 130 thenuses the mappings of final distributor codes/watermarks to originaldistributor codes/watermarks included in the MMS data to identify theoriginal distributor code/watermark detected by the MMS 110 from theoriginal distributor media distribution feed (e.g., the network feed)used by the original distributor to provide the monitored commercial tothe final distributor. The broadcast network commercial creditor 130uses this original distributor code/watermark to identify particularlineup data from the lineup server 115 for the original distributor.Then, the broadcast network commercial creditor 130 can use the originaldistributor code/watermark, as well as original distributor timeinformation (e.g., encoding start and end times) from the mapped MMSdata, to identify the monitored commercial and associated attribute datafrom the particular lineup data for that original distributor (e.g., theoriginating television broadcast network). Further example operation ofthe broadcast network commercial creditor 130 is illustrated in FIG. 4,which is described in further detail below.

The example syndication network commercial creditor 135 implementscrediting of commercials detected in syndication network distributionfeeds. In the illustrated example, the syndication network commercialcreditor 135 operates in a manner similar to the example broadcastnetwork commercial creditor 130, but with an additional telecast mappingoperation. Further example operation of the syndication networkcommercial creditor 135 is illustrated in FIG. 5, which is described infurther detail below.

The example commercial crediting system 100 of FIG. 1 includes anexample commercial repository 140 to store and report crediting data forcommercials monitored by the example commercial creditor 120. To storethe commercial crediting data, the example commercial repository 140 mayinclude any number(s) and/or type(s) of volatile and/or non-volatilememory, storage, etc., or combination(s) thereof, such as the examplevolatile memory 814 and/or the example mass storage device(s) 828included in the example processing system 800 of FIG. 8, which isdescribed in further detail below. To report the commercial creditingdata to one or more computing devices via one or more computingnetworks, such as the Internet, the example commercial repository 140may include one or more network interfaces implemented by one or moreinterface circuits, such as the example interface circuit 820 includedin the example processing system 800 of FIG. 8, which is described infurther detail below.

In some examples, the example commercial crediting system 100 can beincluded in a total content ratings system to identify commercialsaccompanying program content, and to allow the identified commercials tobe excluded from the ratings data determined for the program content. Anexample total content ratings system 300 implemented in accordance withthe teachings of this disclosure is illustrated in FIG. 3. The totalcontent ratings system 300 includes many elements in common with theexample commercial crediting system 100 of FIG. 1. As such, likeelements in FIGS. 1 and 3 are labeled with the same reference numerals.

The example total content ratings system 300 of FIG. 3 provides combinedaudience measurement data for media content (e.g., video programcontent) exposure across multiple delivery platforms. For example, totalcontent ratings (TCR) provide combined exposure metrics acrosstelevision, computer (e.g., online) and mobile platforms. In someexamples, total content ratings include minute level live ratings and/orlive to 7 day (live+7) ratings, which are collected and combined fromvarious sources capable of monitoring multiple types of mediadistribution platforms and receiving media devices, such asactive/passive (AP) television monitoring systems, national peoplemetering (NPM) and/or local people metering (LPM) systems, digital mediametering systems (e.g., such as systems that monitor content managementsystems and/or ID3 tags accompanying distributed media), big data, etc.

In some examples, total content ratings are intended to focus on mediaprogram content and to exclude commercials and other advertisements.This is because the media program content to be monitored may be similaracross the multiple different distribution platforms, but the deliveryof commercials/advertisements may differ (e.g., such as by beingprovided interspersed with the program content in a televisiondistribution context, but being provided in a separate pop-up window,sidebar, etc., in an online distribution context). Thus, the exampletotal content ratings system 300 identifies thecommercials/advertisements accompanying monitored media program contentand excludes the identified commercials/advertisements from the totalcontent ratings determined for the monitored media program content,thereby yielding more accurate, program-only exposure metrics.

To identify the commercials/advertisements accompanying monitored mediaprogram content, the example total content ratings system 300 of FIG. 3includes aspects of the example commercial crediting system 100 ofFIG. 1. For example, the total content ratings system 300 of FIG. 3includes the example commercial monitoring system 105, the example MMS110, the example lineup server 115, the example commercial creditor 120,the example cable network commercial creditor 125, the example broadcastnetwork commercial creditor 130, the example syndication networkcommercial creditor 135 and the example commercial repository 140 ofFIG. 1. In the illustrated example of FIG. 3, the example cable networkcommercial creditor 125, the example broadcast network commercialcreditor 130 and the example syndication network commercial creditor 135are augmented to further process the lineup data to identify programcontent adjacent (e.g., distributed before and/or after) a monitoredcommercial being identified. In some examples, the cable networkcommercial creditor 125, the broadcast network commercial creditor 130and the syndication network commercial creditor 135 are also augmentedto obtain duration and/or other timing information for such adjacentprogram content to, for example, permit the duration of the programcontent to be adjusted by excluding presentation of the commercial fromthe overall broadcast time associated with the program content.

For example, the total content ratings system 300 of FIG. 3 includes anexample commercial excluder 305 to exclude commercials from totalcontent ratings determined for the monitored media program content(e.g., television program episode, movie, etc.). In the illustratedexample, the commercial excluder 305 accesses example televisioncurrency crediting data 310 provided by, for example, one or moreexample AP television metering systems 315 monitoring television mediadistribution (e.g., cable, broadcast network, etc.). The examplecommercial excluder 305 also accesses example digital televisioncurrency crediting data 320 provided by, for example, one or moreexample census digital software development kit (SDK) collection systems325 monitoring digital media distribution (e.g., mobile, online, etc.).The example commercial excluder 305 includes an example televisioncommercial excluder 330 to exclude monitored commercials from the totalcontent ratings for monitored program content represented in thetelevision currency crediting data 310 by, for example, subtracting theduration (e.g., in seconds) listed in the crediting data stored in thecommercial repository 140 for the monitored commercial from the duration(e.g., in seconds, minutes, etc.) listed in the television currencycrediting data 310 for the monitored program content. The examplecommercial excluder 305 includes an example digital televisioncommercial excluder 335 to exclude monitored commercials from the totalcontent ratings for monitored program content represented in the digitaltelevision currency crediting data 320 by, for example, subtracting theduration (e.g., in seconds) listed in the crediting data stored in thecommercial repository 140 for the monitored commercial from the duration(e.g., in seconds, minutes, etc.) listed in the digital televisioncurrency crediting data 320 for the monitored program content.

The example total content ratings system 300 of FIG. 3 includes anexample total content ratings data mart 340 to store and report totalcontent ratings for monitored media content. To store the total contentratings, the example total content ratings data mart 340 may include anynumber(s) and/or type(s) of volatile and/or non-volatile memory,storage, etc., or combination(s) thereof, such as the example volatilememory 814 and/or the example mass storage device(s) 828 included in theexample processing system 800 of FIG. 8, which is described in furtherdetail below. To report the total content ratings to one or morecomputing devices via one or more computing networks, such as theInternet, the example total content ratings data mart 340 may includeone or more network interfaces implemented by one or more interfacecircuits, such as the example interface circuit 820 included in theexample processing system 800 of FIG. 8, which is described in furtherdetail below.

Example operation of the example broadcast network commercial creditor130 of FIGS. 1 and 3 is illustrated in FIG. 4. In the illustratedexample of FIG. 4, the broadcast network commercial creditor 130accesses example commercial crediting feed data 405 provided by theexample commercial monitoring system 105 for a monitored commercialidentified in the commercial crediting feed data. Then, in response todetermining the monitored commercial was distributed via a broadcastnetwork (e.g., based on an ORIGINATOR_TYPE_CODE, as described above),the broadcast network commercial creditor 130 accesses example mediamonitoring system data 410 provided by the example MMS 110. Thebroadcast network commercial creditor 130 compares distribution feedidentification information (e.g., such as the example TOWER ID data 415)and time information (e.g., example AIR TIME data 420) included tocommercial crediting feed data 405 for the monitored commercial withfinal distributor (e.g., local affiliate station) distribution feedidentification information (e.g., such as example connection point data425) and time information (e.g., example broadcast start and end times430) included in the MMS data 410 to identify an example correspondingfinal distributor code/watermark in the MMS data 410 for the monitoredcommercial. The broadcast network commercial creditor 130 then uses themappings of final distributor codes/watermarks to original distributorcodes/watermarks included in the MMS data 410 to identify the originaldistributor code/watermark (e.g., an example source identifier 435)detected by the MMS 110 from the original distributor media distributionfeed (e.g., the network feed) used by the original distributor toprovide the monitored commercial to the final distributor. The broadcastnetwork commercial creditor 130 uses this original distributorcode/watermark to identify particular lineup data from the lineup server115 for the original distributor. Then, the broadcast network commercialcreditor 130 can use the original distributor code/watermark 435, aswell as original distributor time information (e.g., example encodingstart and end times 440) from the mapped MMS data, to identify themonitored commercial and associated attribute data from the particularlineup data for that original distributor (e.g., the originatingtelevision broadcast network).

Example operation of an example syndication network commercial creditor135 of FIGS. 1 and 3 is illustrated in FIG. 5. Operation of the examplesyndication network commercial creditor 135 as depicted in FIG. 5 issimilar to operation of the example broadcast network commercialcreditor 130 as depicted in FIG. 4. However, in the illustrated exampleof FIG. 5, the MMS data 410 includes an example feed point table 505 andan example reportable origination lineup (ROL) table 510 to further mapmonitored commercials to particular telecasts of syndicated media (e.g.,via example TELECAST KEYS 515 and 520). The reportable originationlineup table 510 also enables the syndication network commercialcreditor 135 to identify a particular syndication originator 525associated with the monitored media.

While example manners of implementing the example commercial creditingsystem 100 and the example total content ratings system 300 areillustrated in FIGS. 1-5, one or more of the elements, processes and/ordevices illustrated in FIGS. 1-5 may be combined, divided, re-arranged,omitted, eliminated and/or implemented in any other way. Further, theexample commercial monitoring system 105, the example MMS 110, theexample lineup server 115, the example commercial creditor 120, theexample cable network commercial creditor 125, the example broadcastnetwork commercial creditor 130, the example syndication networkcommercial creditor 135 and the example commercial repository 140, theexample commercial excluder 305, the example AP television meteringsystem(s) 315, the example digital SDK collection systems 325, theexample television commercial excluder 330, the example digitaltelevision commercial excluder 335, the example total content ratingsdata mart 340 and/or, more generally, the example commercial creditingsystem 100 and the example total content ratings system 300 of FIGS. 1-5may be implemented by hardware, software, firmware and/or anycombination of hardware, software and/or firmware. Thus, for example,any of the example commercial monitoring system 105, the example MMS110, the example lineup server 115, the example commercial creditor 120,the example cable network commercial creditor 125, the example broadcastnetwork commercial creditor 130, the example syndication networkcommercial creditor 135 and the example commercial repository 140, theexample commercial excluder 305, the example AP television meteringsystem(s) 315, the example digital SDK collection systems 325, theexample television commercial excluder 330, the example digitaltelevision commercial excluder 335, the example total content ratingsdata mart 340 and/or, more generally, the example commercial creditingsystem 100 and the example total content ratings system 300 could beimplemented by one or more analog or digital circuit(s), logic circuits,programmable processor(s), application specific integrated circuit(s)(ASIC(s)), programmable logic device(s) (PLD(s)) and/or fieldprogrammable logic device(s) (FPLD(s)). When reading any of theapparatus or system claims of this patent to cover a purely softwareand/or firmware implementation, at least one of the example commercialcrediting system 100, the example total content ratings system 300, theexample commercial monitoring system 105, the example MMS 110, theexample lineup server 115, the example commercial creditor 120, theexample cable network commercial creditor 125, the example broadcastnetwork commercial creditor 130, the example syndication networkcommercial creditor 135 and the example commercial repository 140, theexample commercial excluder 305, the example AP television meteringsystem(s) 315, the example digital SDK collection systems 325, theexample television commercial excluder 330, the example digitaltelevision commercial excluder 335 and/or the example total contentratings data mart 340 is/are hereby expressly defined to include atangible computer readable storage device or storage disk such as amemory, a digital versatile disk (DVD), a compact disk (CD), a Blu-raydisk, etc. storing the software and/or firmware. Further still, theexample commercial crediting system 100 and/or the example total contentratings system 300 may include one or more elements, processes and/ordevices in addition to, or instead of, those illustrated in FIGS. 1-5,and/or may include more than one of any or all of the illustratedelements, processes and devices.

Flowcharts representative of example machine readable instructions forimplementing the example commercial crediting system 100, the exampletotal content ratings system 300, the example commercial monitoringsystem 105, the example MMS 110, the example lineup server 115, theexample commercial creditor 120, the example cable network commercialcreditor 125, the example broadcast network commercial creditor 130, theexample syndication network commercial creditor 135 and the examplecommercial repository 140, the example commercial excluder 305, theexample AP television metering system(s) 315, the example digital SDKcollection systems 325, the example television commercial excluder 330,the example digital television commercial excluder 335 and/or theexample total content ratings data mart 340 are shown in FIGS. 6-7. Inthese examples, the machine readable instructions comprise one or moreprograms for execution by a processor, such as the processor 812 shownin the example processor platform 800 discussed below in connection withFIG. 8. The one or more programs, or portion(s) thereof, may be embodiedin software stored on a tangible computer readable storage medium suchas a CD-ROM, a floppy disk, a hard drive, a digital versatile disk(DVD), a Blu-ray Disk™, or a memory associated with the processor 812,but the entire program or programs and/or portions thereof couldalternatively be executed by a device other than the processor 812and/or embodied in firmware or dedicated hardware (e.g., implemented byan ASIC, a PLD, an FPLD, discrete logic, etc.). Further, although theexample program(s) is(are) described with reference to the flowchartsillustrated in FIGS. 6-7, many other methods of implementing the examplecommercial crediting system 100, the example total content ratingssystem 300, the example commercial monitoring system 105, the exampleMMS 110, the example lineup server 115, the example commercial creditor120, the example cable network commercial creditor 125, the examplebroadcast network commercial creditor 130, the example syndicationnetwork commercial creditor 135 and the example commercial repository140, the example commercial excluder 305, the example AP televisionmetering system(s) 315, the example digital SDK collection systems 325,the example television commercial excluder 330, the example digitaltelevision commercial excluder 335 and/or the example total contentratings data mart 340 may alternatively be used. For example, withreference to the flowcharts illustrated in FIGS. 6-7, the order ofexecution of the blocks may be changed, and/or some of the blocksdescribed may be changed, eliminated, combined and/or subdivided intomultiple blocks.

As mentioned above, the example processes of FIGS. 6-7 may beimplemented using coded instructions (e.g., computer and/or machinereadable instructions) stored on a tangible computer readable storagemedium such as a hard disk drive, a flash memory, a read-only memory(ROM), a compact disk (CD), a digital versatile disk (DVD), a cache, arandom-access memory (RAM) and/or any other storage device or storagedisk in which information is stored for any duration (e.g., for extendedtime periods, permanently, for brief instances, for temporarilybuffering, and/or for caching of the information). As used herein, theterm tangible computer readable storage medium is expressly defined toinclude any type of computer readable storage device and/or storage diskand to exclude propagating signals and to exclude transmission media. Asused herein, “tangible computer readable storage medium” and “tangiblemachine readable storage medium” are used interchangeably. Additionallyor alternatively, the example processes of FIGS. 6-7 may be implementedusing coded instructions (e.g., computer and/or machine readableinstructions) stored on a non-transitory computer and/or machinereadable medium such as a hard disk drive, a flash memory, a ROM, a CD,a DVD, a cache, a RAM and/or any other storage device or storage disk inwhich information is stored for any duration (e.g., for extended timeperiods, permanently, for brief instances, for temporarily buffering,and/or for caching of the information). As used herein, the termnon-transitory computer readable medium is expressly defined to includeany type of computer readable storage device and/or storage disk and toexclude propagating signals and to exclude transmission media. As usedherein, when the phrase “at least” is used as the transition term in apreamble of a claim, it is open-ended in the same manner as the terms“comprising” and “including” are open ended. Also, as used herein, theterms “computer readable” and “machine readable” are consideredequivalent unless indicated otherwise.

An example program 600 that may be executed to implement the examplecommercial crediting system 100 of FIG. 1 is illustrated in FIG. 6. Withreference to the preceding figures and associated written descriptions,the example program 600 of FIG. 6 begins execution at block 605 at whichthe example commercial creditor 120 accesses the commercial creditingfeed provided by the example commercial monitoring system 105. At block610, the commercial creditor 120 begins determining crediting data foreach monitored commercial included in the accesses commercial creditingfeed. For example, at block 615 the commercial creditor 120 determines(e.g., based on the ORIGINATOR_TYPE_CODE included in the commercialcrediting feed data) the distribution network type for the monitoredcommercial, as described above.

If the monitored commercial was included in a cable network distributionfeed (block 620), then the commercial creditor 120 invokes the examplecable network commercial creditor 125 to perform processing at block 625and 630. For example, at block 625, the cable network commercialcreditor 125 uses, as described above, the accessed commercial creditingfeed (e.g., without accessing the MMS data provided by the example MMS110) to identify the monitored commercial (and any associated attributedata) from published lineup data stored in the example lineup server 115and to determine the crediting data for the monitored commercial. Insome examples, at block 630, the cable network commercial creditor 125also identifies, from the published lineup data, any program contentadjacent to the monitored commercial, as described above. At block 635,the commercial creditor 120 stores the commercial crediting data for themonitored commercial in the commercial repository 140.

However, if the monitored commercial was not included in a cable networkdistribution feed (block 620), then the commercial creditor 120 invokesthe example broadcast network commercial creditor 130 to performprocessing at block 640-655. For example, at block 640, the broadcastnetwork commercial creditor 130 accesses MMS data provided by theexample MMS 110. At block 645, the broadcast network commercial creditor130 identifies, as described above, the broadcast distribution feedcorresponding to the commercial crediting feed data for the monitoredcommercial (e.g., by comparing TOWER ID data in the commercial creditingfeed data to connection point data in the MMS data). At block 650, thebroadcast network commercial creditor 130 uses, as described above, theaccessed MMS data for the identified broadcast distribution feed data toidentify the monitored commercial (and any associated attribute data)from published lineup data stored in the example lineup server 115 andto determine the crediting data for the monitored commercial. In someexamples, at block 630, the broadcast network commercial creditor 130also identifies, from the published lineup data, any program contentadjacent to the monitored commercial, as described above. At block 635,the commercial creditor 120 stores the commercial crediting data for themonitored commercial in the commercial repository 140.

At block 660, the commercial creditor 120 determines whether creditingdata for all of the monitored commercials included in the commercialcrediting feed data has been determined. If determination of thecommercial crediting data is not complete, processing returns to block610 and blocks subsequent thereto. Otherwise, execution of the exampleprogram 600 ends.

An example program 700 that may be executed to implement the exampletotal content ratings system 300 of FIG. 3 is illustrated in FIG. 7.With reference to the preceding figures and associated writtendescriptions, the example program 700 of FIG. 7 begins execution atblock 705 at which the example commercial creditor 120 accesses thecommercial crediting feed provided by the example commercial monitoringsystem(s) 105, as described above. At block 710, the example commercialcreditor 120 accesses media monitoring data provided by the exampleMMS(s) 110, as described above. At block 715, the example commercialcreditor 120 accesses the lineup data stored in the example lineupserver 115, as described above. At block 720, the example commercialexcluder 305 accesses the example television currency crediting data 310provided by, for example, the example AP television metering system(s)315, as described above. At block 725, the example commercial excluder305 accesses the example digital television currency crediting data 320provided by, for example, the example digital SDK collection system(s)325, as described above.

At block 730, the example commercial creditor 120 determines creditingdata for the monitored commercials included in the accesses commercialcrediting feed and associates the monitored commercials with adjacentprogram content in the accessed lineup data, as described above. Atblocks 735 and 740, the commercial excluder 305 identifies durations ofthe adjacent programs from the accessed television currency creditingdata 310 and the accessed digital television currency crediting data320, and determines the overlapping times between the programs and themonitored commercials. In some examples, at block 745, the commercialcreditor 120 stores commercial snapshots for the monitored commercialdata, in addition to the crediting data for the monitored commercials,in the example commercial repository 140. At block 750, the commercialexcluder 305 determines, as described above, total content ratings forthe monitored programs from the accessed television currency creditingdata 310 and the accessed digital television currency crediting data320, and by excluding the monitored commercials that overlapped with theprogram content. Execution of the example program 700 then ends.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of an example processor platform 800structured to execute the instructions of FIGS. 6 and/or 7 to implementthe example commercial crediting system 100 of FIG. 1 and/or the exampletotal content ratings system 300 of FIG. 3. The processor platform 800can be, for example, a server, a personal computer, a mobile device(e.g., a cell phone, a smart phone, a tablet such as an iPad™), or anyother type of computing device.

The processor platform 800 of the illustrated example includes aprocessor 812. The processor 812 of the illustrated example is hardware.For example, the processor 812 can be implemented by one or moreintegrated circuits, logic circuits, microprocessors or controllers fromany desired family or manufacturer. In the illustrated example of FIG.8, the processor 812 includes one or more example processing cores 815configured via example instructions 832, which include the exampleinstructions of FIGS. 6 and/or 7, to implement the example commercialcreditor 120, the example cable network commercial creditor 125, theexample broadcast network commercial creditor 130, the examplesyndication network commercial creditor 135 and/or the examplecommercial excluder 305 of FIGS. 1 and/or 3.

The processor 812 of the illustrated example includes a local memory 813(e.g., a cache). The processor 812 of the illustrated example is incommunication with a main memory including a volatile memory 814 and anon-volatile memory 816 via a link 818. The link 818 may be implementedby a bus, one or more point-to-point connections, etc., or a combinationthereof. The volatile memory 814 may be implemented by SynchronousDynamic Random Access Memory (SDRAM), Dynamic Random Access Memory(DRAM), RAMBUS Dynamic Random Access Memory (RDRAM) and/or any othertype of random access memory device. The non-volatile memory 816 may beimplemented by flash memory and/or any other desired type of memorydevice. Access to the main memory 814, 816 is controlled by a memorycontroller.

The processor platform 800 of the illustrated example also includes aninterface circuit 820. The interface circuit 820 may be implemented byany type of interface standard, such as an Ethernet interface, auniversal serial bus (USB), and/or a PCI express interface.

In the illustrated example, one or more input devices 822 are connectedto the interface circuit 820. The input device(s) 822 permit(s) a userto enter data and commands into the processor 812. The input device(s)can be implemented by, for example, an audio sensor, a microphone, acamera (still or video), a keyboard, a button, a mouse, a touchscreen, atrack-pad, a trackball, a trackbar (such as an isopoint), a voicerecognition system and/or any other human-machine interface. Also, manysystems, such as the processor platform 800, can allow the user tocontrol the computer system and provide data to the computer usingphysical gestures, such as, but not limited to, hand or body movements,facial expressions, and face recognition.

One or more output devices 824 are also connected to the interfacecircuit 820 of the illustrated example. The output devices 824 can beimplemented, for example, by display devices (e.g., a light emittingdiode (LED), an organic light emitting diode (OLED), a liquid crystaldisplay, a cathode ray tube display (CRT), a touchscreen, a tactileoutput device, a printer and/or speakers). The interface circuit 820 ofthe illustrated example, thus, typically includes a graphics drivercard, a graphics driver chip or a graphics driver processor.

The interface circuit 820 of the illustrated example also includes acommunication device such as a transmitter, a receiver, a transceiver, amodem and/or network interface card to facilitate exchange of data withexternal machines (e.g., computing devices of any kind) via a network826 (e.g., an Ethernet connection, a digital subscriber line (DSL), atelephone line, coaxial cable, a cellular telephone system, etc.).

The processor platform 800 of the illustrated example also includes oneor more mass storage devices 828 for storing software and/or data.Examples of such mass storage devices 828 include floppy disk drives,hard drive disks, compact disk drives, Blu-ray disk drives, RAID(redundant array of independent disks) systems, and digital versatiledisk (DVD) drives. In some examples, the mass storage device 830 mayimplement the example lineup server 115, the example commercialrepository 140 and/or the example total content ratings data mart 340 ofFIGS. 1 and/or 3. Additionally or alternatively, in some examples, thevolatile memory 818 may implement the example lineup server 115, theexample commercial repository 140 and/or the example total contentratings data mart 340 of FIGS. 1 and/or 3.

Coded instructions 832 corresponding to the instructions of FIGS. 6and/or 7 may be stored in the mass storage device 828, in the volatilememory 814, in the non-volatile memory 816, in the local memory 813and/or on a removable tangible computer readable storage medium, such asa CD or DVD 836.

It is noted that this patent claims priority from Indian PatentApplication Serial Number 3858/DEL/2015, which was filed on Nov. 26,2015, and is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

Although certain example methods, apparatus and articles of manufacturehave been disclosed herein, the scope of coverage of this patent is notlimited thereto. On the contrary, this patent covers all methods,apparatus and articles of manufacture fairly falling within the scope ofthe claims of this patent.

What is claimed is:
 1. A commercial crediting apparatus comprising:memory including machine readable instructions; and a processor toexecute the instructions to: compare first identification informationand first timing information obtained from a first monitored data feedwith second identification information and second timing information ina second monitored data feed to identify a first final distributor coderepresented in the second monitoring data feed, the first identificationinformation and the first timing information corresponding to a firstcommercial represented in the first monitored data feed; access datathat maps a first original distributor code to the first finaldistributor code; identify the first commercial in lineup data based onthe first original distributor code; and adjust, based on a duration ofthe first commercial, a duration obtained for a first media programlisted in the lineup data.
 2. The commercial crediting apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein data that maps the final distributor codes to theoriginal distributor codes is included in the second monitoring datafeed.
 3. The commercial crediting apparatus of claim 1, wherein theprocessor is to: access the first monitored data feed from a firstsystem; and access the second monitored data feed from a second systemdifferent from the first system.
 4. The commercial crediting apparatusof claim 3, wherein the second system is to detect the final distributorcodes and the original distributor codes from watermarks in themonitored media distribution feed.
 5. The commercial crediting apparatusof claim 4, wherein the final distributor codes and the originaldistributor codes are watermarked hierarchically in the monitored mediadistribution feed.
 6. The commercial crediting apparatus of claim 1,wherein the lineup data is first lineup data corresponding to a firstoriginal distributor of media, and the processor is to access the firstlineup data from a lineup server, the lineup server to store respectivelineup data corresponding to respective ones of a plurality of originaldistributors of media.
 7. The commercial crediting apparatus of claim 1,wherein the first media program is adjacent to the first commercial inthe lineup data.
 8. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprisingcomputer readable instructions that, when executed, cause a processor toat least: compare first identification information and first timinginformation obtained from a first monitored data feed with secondidentification information and second timing information in a secondmonitored data feed to identify a first final distributor coderepresented in the second monitoring data feed, the first identificationinformation and the first timing information corresponding to a firstcommercial represented in the first monitored data feed; access datathat maps a first original distributor code to the first finaldistributor code; identify the first commercial in lineup data based onthe first original distributor code; and adjust, based on a duration ofthe first commercial, a duration obtained for a first media programlisted in the lineup data.
 9. The non-transitory computer readablemedium of claim 8, wherein data that maps the final distributor codes tothe original distributor codes is included in the second monitoring datafeed.
 10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8,wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to: accessthe first monitored data feed from a first system; and access the secondmonitored data feed from a second system different from the firstsystem.
 11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10,wherein the second system is to detect the final distributor codes andthe original distributor codes from watermarks in the monitored mediadistribution feed.
 12. The non-transitory computer readable medium ofclaim 11, wherein the final distributor codes and the originaldistributor codes are watermarked hierarchically in the monitored mediadistribution feed.
 13. The non-transitory computer readable medium ofclaim 8, wherein the lineup data is first lineup data corresponding to afirst original distributor of media, and the instructions, whenexecuted, cause the processor to access the first lineup data from alineup server, the lineup server to store respective lineup datacorresponding to respective ones of a plurality of original distributorsof media.
 14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8,wherein the first media program is adjacent to the first commercial inthe lineup data.
 15. A commercial crediting method comprising:comparing, by executing an instruction with a processor, firstidentification information and first timing information obtained from afirst monitored data feed with second identification information andsecond timing information in a second monitored data feed to identify afirst final distributor code represented in the second monitoring datafeed, the first identification information and the first timinginformation corresponding to a first commercial represented in the firstmonitored data feed; accessing, by executing an instruction with theprocessor, data that maps a first original distributor code to the firstfinal distributor code; identifying, by executing an instruction withthe processor, the first commercial in lineup data based on the firstoriginal distributor code; and adjusting, by executing an instructionwith the processor and based on a duration of the first commercial, aduration obtained for a first media program listed in the lineup data.16. The method of claim 15, wherein data that maps the final distributorcodes to the original distributor codes is included in the secondmonitoring data feed.
 17. The method of claim 15, further including:accessing the first monitored data feed from a first system; andaccessing the second monitored data feed from a second system differentfrom the first system.
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the finaldistributor codes and the original distributor codes are watermarkedhierarchically in the monitored media distribution feed, and the secondsystem is to detect the final distributor codes and the originaldistributor codes from watermarks in the monitored media distributionfeed.
 19. The method of claim 15, wherein the lineup data is firstlineup data corresponding to a first original distributor of media, andfurther including accessing the first lineup data from a lineup server,the lineup server to store respective lineup data corresponding torespective ones of a plurality of original distributors of media. 20.The method of claim 15, wherein the first media program is adjacent tothe first commercial in the lineup data.